Wire guides for electrical connectors are often made of a plastic insulating material and are arranged to attach to a connector housing so that the wires terminated in the housing are guided away from their termination points and into a neat bundle. In many cases the wire guide also serves as a strain relief for the wires. Prior art wire guides are typically attach to their respective connector housings by detents, flexible plastic parts that engage features on the housing, or other mechanisms that easily snap into place. Such wire guides, while easy to install, are prone to accidental disengagement from the connector during the original installation of the connector or during maintenance. Additionally, the flexible plastic parts are necessarily thin and lack sufficient support for securely attaching the wire guide to the connector housing resulting in a loose and tenuous mechanical connection. Such wire guides are susceptible to damage when their removal is attempted for maintenance of the connector.
What is needed is a wire guide of robust design that is easily attached to its connector housing and can then be securely locked in place, yet easily removed for maintenance.